Pakistani Umrah passengers required to get polio vaccines
Travelers flying from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia for Umrah are now required to receive the polio vaccine and obtain a stamped certificate from a government or private hospital.
This new mandate will apply to passengers
traveling to Saudi Arabia on Umrah, as well as those on visit, tourist, and
business visas.
According to Airblue, a private Pakistani
carrier, Iqama holders and Saudi nationals are exempt from this requirement
when entering the Kingdom.
"Passengers must receive either an IPV
(Inactivated Polio Vaccine) dose within the last 12 months or an OPV (Oral
Polio Vaccine) dose within the last six months, at least four weeks prior to
arriving in Saudi Arabia," the airline shared on social media.
This new rule has been in effect since February
10, 2025.
Read More Saudi
Arabia makes polio vaccination certificate mandatory for Pakistani travelers
Recently, hundreds of Umrah pilgrims were
offloaded from flights at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport for
failing to meet the vaccination requirement.
Millions of Pakistanis travel to Saudi Arabia
annually for Umrah, and with this new regulation in place, they will need to
ensure they comply by getting vaccinated well in advance.
Additionally, Saudi
Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation recently announced the removal of
the meningitis vaccine requirement for Umrah travelers.
Source: Khaleej Times